In late 2021, during the Council election campaign, some candidates acknowledged that the Council should do much better in informing the community on matters of importance.
I believe that a local Council that consistently engages effectively with its community is helping to safeguard local democracy while placing people at the centre of local government. Perfunctory, irregular “consultation” should be unacceptable.
Councillors have received complaints of a lack of communication and response times to your communications. We are committed to continuous improvement in this regard. If you have experienced communication issues, I encourage you to contact me or your local councillor.
The level of community engagement undertaken should always be appropriate to the nature, complexity and impact of the issue, plan, project, or strategy. Adequate time and reasonable opportunity should be provided for people to present their views to Council in an appropriate manner and format. The Council should have proper regard to the reasonable expectations of the community, to the costs and benefits of the engagement process, and to intergenerational equity.
A consistent approach should be undertaken by Council and staff in relation to projects requiring community consultation. It is vital to create an organisational culture and staff capacity ensuring that community engagement processes add value and comprise best practice and good governance. Moreover, engagement methods need to be flexible, inclusive, and appropriate.
Effective community engagement is an integral part of developing Council plans, policies, and the provision of services and assets. Engagement is an important part of the democratic system under which Council operates. Best practice community engagement should be built on openness, transparency, trust, and respect.
An engagement strategy should outline the commitment, principles, and engagement framework under which opportunities will be made available for the community to contribute to the Council’s decision-making processes. The community should be kept well informed throughout the engagement process and receive feedback that demonstrates how their input influenced decisions.
Community engagement should apply to all facets of Council’s operations including corporate, strategic land use, financial planning, and Council’s Day to day business activities. It needs to be multifaceted, requiring a standard of consultation that appropriately responds to the nature, complexity and impact of the matters involved. Engagement methods and techniques used should vary according to circumstances.
My elected colleagues and I understand the vitality of effective community consultation and engagement. We have embraced a number of innovative approaches and will continue to do so. Early this year Councillors met with community members over a “cuppa” and visited about a dozen communities while consulting over the 2022-23 Council Operational Plan and Budget.
When elected, I instigated regular Mayoral radio interviews on each of our three local radio stations and immediately after each monthly Council meeting, I speak to Council decisions on radio. Other Councillors in rotation regularly provide information in radio interviews
The Council has supported a Mayoral Minute to reconstitute the former “Councillor Listening Tours” which, when I was previously the mayor, provided excellent opportunities to meet with and listen, particularly in the more remote villages and localities in the Council area. Planning for such tours is well advanced and will recommence in October/November 2022.
There are in excess of thirty ‘hard to reach’ communities in Clarence Valley. The plan at this stage is to usually visit three communities each month. On that basis, or unless we can increase the frequency of visits it will take at least a year to visit all Clarence communities.
With senior Council staff, for the past several weeks I have been visiting elders, First Nation communities, and Traditional Owners groups with the primary objective of re-establishing, direct contact with Council on their issues of concern. A report thereon will soon come to Council. It is likely that several different means of connection and engagement with First Nations people will be employed.
It is vital that your council is open, transparent, and accountable, making decisions in the best interests of the public. Council needs to develop and strengthen trust with the community and build citizen confidence in Council’s capacity to plan and make decisions that will best respond to the present and future needs of constituents.
Council is committed to continuing to improve the way we communicate with you.
Cr Ian Tiley
Mayor